Posted by For another day, the bitterly-divided State Senate was forced by Governor David Paterson to meet Wednesday afternoon for a brief, fruitless special session.
Both Democrats and Republicans gaveled in together, but the feuding political parties gaveled out separately.
Republican Senator Dean Skelos and Democratic Senator Pedro Espada Jr. held a “leaders’ meeting” before the special session, but no other Democrats attended.
Espada voted for GOP leadership during a June 8 coup that brought the Senate to a standstill.
“We’re prepared to negotiate a long term agreement in terms of how the Senate should operate from this day through the end of 2010,” said Skelos.
“Their problems are our problems because without their full empowered participation we cannot resolve the impasse,” said Espada.
Paterson has pledged to continue to call special sessions through July 6th and has told senators to plan on being in Albany for the long holiday weekend.
